A man sits outside Barbara Bush Library in Houston, the United States, April 18, 2018. Local people in Houston, fourth-most populous city in the United States, gathered at the city hall Thursday to remember former First Lady Barbara Bush who passed away Tuesday. (Xinhua/Steven Song)

HOUSTON, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Local people in Houston, fourth-most populous city in the United States, gathered at the city hall Thursday to remember former First Lady Barbara Bush who passed away Tuesday.

The former first lady died at her Houston home at the age of 92 after a long struggle with congestive heart failure and pulmonary disease.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and other local leaders offered words of comfort and remembrance for the lady, who was known to have advanced the cause of universal literacy and founded the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.

"Barbara Bush knew that if you give a child a gift of learning, power to read, it is a gift that keeps on giving," said Turner. "Even though herself may not be physically present, the fact that she touched so many children's lives and taught them and encouraged them how to read means that she will live on for a long time."

The public can pay respects to Barbara Bush on Friday at St. Martin's Church, a few blocks from the home she and her husband, former President George Bush, built. A funeral is scheduled for Saturday at the same church.

Barbara Bush served as the first lady during her husband's presidency between 1989 and 1993. She is also the mother of former President George W. Bush, who served between 2001 and 2009.???